1. Technical Field:
This invention relates to devices for insufflating gas into a mass of molten metal in a vessel wherein the device is positioned in the refractory lining of the vessel and gas is introduced into the vessel therethrough.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Prior structures for introducing gas into molten metal for stirring purposes or introducing refining agents and the like have generally utilized pocket blocks positioned in the bottom or lower surfaces of the ladle or other molten metal vessel, the pocket blocks having openings therethrough in which various devices including porous plugs, impervious plugs with spaced shells and the like are positioned to provide passageways for gas therethrough. Such prior art devices may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,396,179 to LaBate, 4,383,520 to LaBate, 4,538,795 to LaBate, 4,632,367 to LaBate, 4,687,184 to LaBate, et al. and 4,725,047 to LaBate.
A side mounted lance for a ladle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,170 (Jeffrey A. Towns, assigned to Insul Company, Inc.) in which a lance is positioned partially in the lining in the side wall of a ladle. A refractory nozzle built into the side wall of a metallurgical vessel providing a single passageway for the introduction of powdered reagents is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,192 to Barbakadze, et al.
The present invention comprises an improvement with respect to the devices disclosed in my above-mentioned U.S. patents and the others in that a refractory block of a size and shape enabling it to be easily incorporated in the conventional refractory lining of a metallurgical vessel is disclosed as having a plurality of passageways transversely thereof which communicate with tubes through which a suitable source of stirring gas may be directed. The stirring block so formed is easily positioned in the refractory linings of a metallurgical vessel such as a ladle or the like and may be rather easily and quickly replaced if necessary and is so formed and shaped that the gas directed thereto effectively protects the portions thereof exposed to the molten metal as well as providing a cooling effect considerably increasing the useful life of the stirring block.